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CORKER GSE? (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

Vauxhall says it's reviving the spirit of its old Nova GSi hot hatch with this electric Corsa GSE. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 39

Vauxhall's Corsa Electric might not seem like a prime candidate for the hot hatch treatment. Still, with this Corsa GSE it gets just that. Want an affordable EV shopping rocket? The Griffin brand hopes it's delivered that right here.

Backgroundword count: 114

Vauxhall is a rational brand but also used to make some memorable performance models. The Griffin maker's marketeers are keen to assure us that it can do so once more and as evidence of that, there's this, the Corsa GSE. It's apparently supposed to revive a 'cult classic', the brand's old Nova GSi hot hatch of 1987, which almost nobody other than Vauxhall remembers. A combustion model with very little in common with this little sporty little EV. Most of what's here is shared with the Mokka GSE small sporty SUV. And with several other Stellantis small sporting EVs. Vauxhall though, says it's put a distinctive Griffin spin on this confection here. Let's see.

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If you're hoping for a spiritual successor to the fiery Corsa VXR (discontinued back in 2018), you might have to temper your expectations a bit here. Even though the 281PS output of this electric Corsa GSE is a full 70PS more than that old combustion model. The output in question also looks quite good by class standards too, 60PS more than a key rival, the Alpine A290 GTS, a car that would also presumably be slower through the curves since it does without the limited-slip differential this EV Vauxhall includes as standard. You might already be beginning to recognise the Stellantis-sourced performance package in play here, the same one used with Vauxhall's Mokka GSE. And also the same we've already seen in more directly competitive close cousins like the Peugeot E-208 GTi, the Abarth 600e and the Alfa Romeo Junior Electtrica Veloce. Many of the same dynamic tweaks are recognisable from those cars too; like the 4-piston Alcon brakes front and rear for sharper stopping power. 0-62mph takes 5.5s, a little faster than the alternative Stellantis models we mentioned, though the 112mph top speed is a little slower. Other GSE changes over the standard Corsa Electric (which has only 136PS) include reworked front and rear axles, stiffer anti-roll bars and lowered suspension featuring new dampers with hydraulic bump stops. The brake and throttle have been tuned for sharper responses and there are grippy Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres with significant negative camber. It's worth pointing out that the full 345Nm pulling power output is only offered in the most dynamic drive mode (Sport); with the other settings (Normal and Eco), it's capped at 231PS in the default Normal mode to preserve driving range from the 54kWh battery (quoted at around 220 miles). Through the turns, the steering's been tweaked to make the car feel more engaging, but don't expect the overt fake drivetrain soundtrack you could have with rival Abarth 600e.

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